I was reading another messageboard and a poster had a thought provoking question. What if there were no commercials for NFL games? What if NFL games were treated more like soccer games where there are product placement during the game and the announcers spinning a topic to transition to a quick audio commercial while the game was still being played. Do you think the games would get over with faster since there are no 'tv timeouts'? Would you be all for no commercials except for team timeouts and maybe halftime? Or do you like it fine the way it is since you like to take advantage of the extra time to get something to drink or go to the bathroom so you dont miss any action? Maybe you would prefer seeing the commercials than the downtime during change of possession or something of that sort.

Hmmm. interesting. I never noticed that there are no commercials during soccer games...OH ya, I never watch soccer.

Frok

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March 25th, 2011, 6:51 am

m2karateman

RIP Killer

Joined: October 20th, 2004, 4:16 pmPosts: 10066Location: Where ever I'm at now

Re: What if there were no commercials for NFL games?

Lionfanatic wrote:

I was reading another messageboard and a poster had a thought provoking question. What if there were no commercials for NFL games? What if NFL games were treated more like soccer games where there are product placement during the game and the announcers spinning a topic to transition to a quick audio commercial while the game was still being played. Do you think the games would get over with faster since there are no 'tv timeouts'? Would you be all for no commercials except for team timeouts and maybe halftime? Or do you like it fine the way it is since you like to take advantage of the extra time to get something to drink or go to the bathroom so you dont miss any action? Maybe you would prefer seeing the commercials than the downtime during change of possession or something of that sort.

So I was curious, what would you all prefer?

Honestly, I don't think it would make all that much difference. It is a rarity that the game itself is stopped for a commercial timeout. Usually there's a natural break in the action, like change of possession or an injury. Having the players constantly run back and forth to get back to the huddle, or on the field/off the field, to try and beat the play clock isn't going to make the product any better. In fact, it will get worse.

Also, there's no way the NFL or NFLPA would accept it. The TV contracts are driven by the money brought in from airing those commercials DURING the game. That is the prime time to have a commercial aired, and the most costly spot. Commercials shown during halftime, or some other extended down time are actually cheaper, less desirable and don't bring as much money for the NFL.

I think doing a game in the manner that was described would be akin to when the NFL tried airing a game without announcers. It was an abysmal failure.

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March 25th, 2011, 8:25 am

thelomasbrowns

Pro Bowl Player

Joined: August 24th, 2010, 9:54 pmPosts: 2482

Re: What if there were no commercials for NFL games?

I think it's a noble goal to cut down on commercials, if not completely eliminate them. I was shocked when the Hobbs guy went down for the Eagles on a kick return--nobody knew what was going to happen--was he going to paralyzed, etc.--yet NBC cut to commercial THREE TIMES before it was resolved. Talk about tacky.

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March 25th, 2011, 9:16 am

Pablo

RIP Killer

Joined: August 6th, 2004, 9:21 amPosts: 9596Location: Dallas

Re: What if there were no commercials for NFL games?

As a huge fan of football, both the American and International versions - the sports are very different. Over here there are tons of natural stopping points so commercials fit in well. In soccer as you Yanks call it, there is a rhythm and flow to the game that doesn't allow for stoppage. While I'm all for games to get over quicker, I don't see that much opportunity for shortening the game that much.

Baseball and basketball are different stories, I think those games can be cut down dramatically.

The commercials bring us the games so I really cannot complain all that much. What really bothers me is when a TD is scored and the extra point is kicked, we go to commercial, back for the kickoff and then back to commercial after an eight second play. Just make the one break longer and show another commercial if you have too, so I guess the management of the commercials could be much better. And of course, the redundacy of the commercials are another topic. Look on the bright side, at least a commercial gives you the time to take a leak and grab another beer

_________________"When you eat crow, if you put barbecue on it, it's not so bad."-Brady Hoke

Hmmm. interesting. I never noticed that there are no commercials during soccer games...OH ya, I never watch soccer.

Frok

Agree.

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March 25th, 2011, 2:04 pm

anon749244

Varsity Captain

Joined: April 1st, 2009, 9:37 pmPosts: 312

Re: What if there were no commercials for NFL games?

The concept of commercials, in general, bothers me.

In most cases, you pay for cable television so that you can watch television shows. Said shows are interrupted by targeted commercials that can't possibly appeal to a large percentage of the audience, ruining the flow of the game/show and inconveincing viewers by flooding their paid programming with advertisements.

Television commercials are an outdated way to advertise, internet marketing/social network involvement is more cost effective, more efficient, and the results are highly measurable - television advertising is none of those things.

Television commercials stifle competition by allowing companies with higher amounts of capital available for advertising to get their product out in front of more people, while other smaller companies with, in some cases, superior products, don't have that luxury.

Beer commercials don't need to exist. If I want beer, I go buy beer. I'm not going to buy Michelob Ultra beer if Kim Kardashian dumps a bottle of it on her t-shirt, I'm going to buy the beer that I like, regardless of how good another beer companies' spokesperson's breasts look saturated in their offering. This same concept applies to the vast majority of products I see advertised on tv. Consumers are able to use the internet to make informed decisions about their purchases. There still are a very small percentage of people who make many of their purchasing decisions based on what they see on television, but those are the same people who vote for a presidental candidate because they think they could have a beer with the guy, these people are fudge idiots and lobbying products to them alone should not result in the rest of us having to endure television commercials.

Most of the commercials we see now-a-days are targetted at lower-class trash - commercials for lawers, check cashing, cash for gold.. These things don't need commercials, companies are just preying on the mental incompetence of its viewers.

To answer the question: Yes, soccer games aren't ruined by commercials and I think football would see the same spike in entertainment value, were they to switch to non-obtrusive, visual-only advertising. I wouldn't be opposed to advertising on jerseys, like they do in professional soccer.

While I'm at it..

Ditch the constant visuals. Keep track of the score and time remaining in the corner of the screen, text only. Stop taking up half of the screen with stupid looking animations and other things people don't need to know. For detailed information: timeouts, stats, etc, viewers can follow along on their phone, computer, iPad, but for the people who just want to watch the game you are ruining the viewing experience.

Just announce the fudge game. I'm tired of the banter. Noone cares about terry bradshaw's singing career, what X player's father did when he played for X team, etc. With the way technology is now-a-days, we should have the option to listen to a playbyplay of the game, or listen to washed up veterans talk about their weekends, or suck adrian petersons dick everytime he touches the ball. What I'd love is to just watch the game and only hear what's going on on the field - we all know how football works, we don't need our hands held. I watched a basketball game the other day and they didn't even talk about the game, they'd chime in occasionally, but a large majority of the crap that came out of their mouths was a personal conversation and talk about lebron james, who wasn't playing. It's to the point that I'm about ready to stop watching games on tv and only go to games in person and listen to them on the radio, where they have to articulate what's going on in every play.

Edit: Does Sunday ticket work like this or would I still have to listen to emmit smith criticize superior backs and joke around with other overrated ex-players?

March 29th, 2011, 1:38 pm

wjb21ndtown

Re: What if there were no commercials for NFL games?

IMO the commercials almost make it better. There are natural, long breaks in the game. It is almost better to watch at home than live, IMO. I don't mind the commercials one bit.

March 29th, 2011, 2:48 pm

thelomasbrowns

Pro Bowl Player

Joined: August 24th, 2010, 9:54 pmPosts: 2482

Re: What if there were no commercials for NFL games?

I'm not opposed to commercials as long as it doesn't interrupt the flow of the game. Remember that Monday night game--think it was the Titans and the Jaguars?-- where the refs were telling Fisher to slow down so they could get in some more commercial breaks? That's garbage.

The Fox broadcast has become increasingly bad over the years--I really enjoyed the CBS broadcast for Thanksgiving because it was more serious and football-centric. Good thing Fox didn't go ahead with this nonsense:

Background music is such an ingrained part of movies and TV that we hardly even notice it. But a football game?

Michael Hiestand of USA Today reports that FOX has begun adding music to televised NFL games. The network actually started it, unannounced, with last week’s Seahawks-49ers game, and this weekend they’ve announced they’re doing it again for the Cardinals-Panthers game.

A sample of the way it was used in the Seahawks-49ers game is here. I think it sounds a little goofy and adds nothing to the broadcast, but FOX Sports President Eric Shanks thinks otherwise.

“This is all in the execution,” Shanks said. “Just like music in movies, you have to use it at the right times. And imagine trying to score a movie the first time you’re seeing it.”

Shanks calls using music during the Super Bowl “a possibility.” I hope FOX thinks better of it. It’s not that football and music can’t go together — those symphonic scores are a big part of why fans love NFL Films — but during a live game it feels like a distraction from the action on the field.

I'm not opposed to commercials as long as it doesn't interrupt the flow of the game. Remember that Monday night game--think it was the Titans and the Jaguars?-- where the refs were telling Fisher to slow down so they could get in some more commercial breaks? That's garbage.

The Fox broadcast has become increasingly bad over the years--I really enjoyed the CBS broadcast for Thanksgiving because it was more serious and football-centric. Good thing Fox didn't go ahead with this nonsense:

Background music is such an ingrained part of movies and TV that we hardly even notice it. But a football game?

Michael Hiestand of USA Today reports that FOX has begun adding music to televised NFL games. The network actually started it, unannounced, with last week’s Seahawks-49ers game, and this weekend they’ve announced they’re doing it again for the Cardinals-Panthers game.

A sample of the way it was used in the Seahawks-49ers game is here. I think it sounds a little goofy and adds nothing to the broadcast, but FOX Sports President Eric Shanks thinks otherwise.

“This is all in the execution,” Shanks said. “Just like music in movies, you have to use it at the right times. And imagine trying to score a movie the first time you’re seeing it.”

Shanks calls using music during the Super Bowl “a possibility.” I hope FOX thinks better of it. It’s not that football and music can’t go together — those symphonic scores are a big part of why fans love NFL Films — but during a live game it feels like a distraction from the action on the field.

Actually they did go ahead with it. It's pretty subtle usually just sounds like you can hear the music from the stadium over the TV broadcast. It does beg a question though: If it is so terrible, how come you didn't notice that they were doing it?

_________________"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." - John Adams

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March 30th, 2011, 7:02 pm

thelomasbrowns

Pro Bowl Player

Joined: August 24th, 2010, 9:54 pmPosts: 2482

Re: What if there were no commercials for NFL games?

Touchdown Jesus wrote:

thelomasbrowns wrote:

I'm not opposed to commercials as long as it doesn't interrupt the flow of the game. Remember that Monday night game--think it was the Titans and the Jaguars?-- where the refs were telling Fisher to slow down so they could get in some more commercial breaks? That's garbage.

The Fox broadcast has become increasingly bad over the years--I really enjoyed the CBS broadcast for Thanksgiving because it was more serious and football-centric. Good thing Fox didn't go ahead with this nonsense:

Background music is such an ingrained part of movies and TV that we hardly even notice it. But a football game?

Michael Hiestand of USA Today reports that FOX has begun adding music to televised NFL games. The network actually started it, unannounced, with last week’s Seahawks-49ers game, and this weekend they’ve announced they’re doing it again for the Cardinals-Panthers game.

A sample of the way it was used in the Seahawks-49ers game is here. I think it sounds a little goofy and adds nothing to the broadcast, but FOX Sports President Eric Shanks thinks otherwise.

“This is all in the execution,” Shanks said. “Just like music in movies, you have to use it at the right times. And imagine trying to score a movie the first time you’re seeing it.”

Shanks calls using music during the Super Bowl “a possibility.” I hope FOX thinks better of it. It’s not that football and music can’t go together — those symphonic scores are a big part of why fans love NFL Films — but during a live game it feels like a distraction from the action on the field.

Actually they did go ahead with it. It's pretty subtle usually just sounds like you can hear the music from the stadium over the TV broadcast. It does beg a question though: If it is so terrible, how come you didn't notice that they were doing it?

Because I mute the TV broadcast and listen to Miller and Brandstatter

_________________Jim Caldwell, on whether Jim Harbaugh is stealing his thunder: "Me? I don't have any thunder."